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Father's Day "Do Not Be Afraid"
[1]
THE FEAR OF HUMAN OPINION
Father's Day
brings many different memories and perspectives to different people.
Some
remember their fathers with gratitude. Others remember them with sadness,
disappointment, or loss. Some fathers wonder whether they have done enough.
Others miss fathers who have died.
The readings
today invite us to look beyond our earthly experience of fatherhood and to
remember something deeper: the fatherhood of God.
In the
Gospel, Jesus repeats a message several times:
"Do
not be afraid."
Fear is one
of the strongest forces in our lives. We worry about what others think. We
worry about our future. We worry about our families, our children, and our
grandchildren.
Many years
ago, when I left my career to enter the seminary, an old friend thought I was
making a terrible mistake. He was shocked. He strongly opposed the idea and
told me so in front of several other people.
I still
remember that conversation.
Not because
it changed my decision. It didn't.
But I cared
what he thought.
Part of the
reason was that I respected him. He was successful in his career, and we often
give extra weight to certain opinions not only because of what is said, but
because of who is saying it.
Many of us
know that feeling.
That is
exactly the situation Jeremiah faces in today's first reading. He hears people
whispering against him. They are waiting for him to fail.
Yet Jeremiah
refuses to let fear have the final word.
[2]
WHAT GOD SEES THAT WE DO NOT
Jeremiah
says:
"The
Lord is with me."
That is the
turning point.
The question
is not whether opposition exists in our lives. The question is whether we can
find God amid that opposition.
Years after
that conversation, my friend became seriously ill with a heart condition. He
nearly died and underwent major heart surgery.
Later, he
sent me a text message from the hospital. In the midst of everything he had
gone through, he wrote:
"I
guess my Catholic faith runs deep."
That simple
sentence stayed with me.
It reminded
me that faith can remain alive beneath the surface even when we cannot see it.
God sees the
heart.
That is
exactly what Jeremiah discovered. While others judged him from the outside, God
knew what was happening within.
[3]
THE RELATIONSHIP LASTED LONGER THAN THE REMARK
One thing
that never happened was this: my friend never came back to me and said,
"You know, Jim, I was wrong. It was a good idea that you became a
priest."
Life rarely
ties itself up so neatly.
He never
formally retracted what he had said.
But he never
repeated it either.
Then years
later I discovered something I had never known.
In a
small-world connection, I learned that this same friend was the first cousin of
one of my classmates in the seminary.
They both
came from the same part of Ireland. I knew that much. But I had never put the
pieces together.
It was one
of those moments that made me smile.
It did not
change the past, but it reminded me how connected we really are.
For years, I
remembered the criticism.
But God
remembered the person.
And perhaps
that is how God wants us to see one another.
Not simply
as a source of anxiety or disappointment, but as a person whom God continues to
love and guide.
The
relationship lasted longer than the remark.
[4]
WHAT A FATHER SEES
That insight
helps us understand Father's Day.
A good
father sees more than a moment.
He sees more
than a mistake made by a child.
He sees more
than an argumentative reaction from a son or daughter.
He sees the
person.
Perhaps that
is what God was teaching me through this friendship.
For years, I
remembered a reaction.
God
remembered the person.
God the
Father sees each of us not merely by our worst moment, but by the person we can
become through His grace.
Christian
fatherhood is about more than providing things.
A father
helps his children grow in faith and character.
St. Joseph
remains a beautiful model. He says nothing in the Gospels, yet faithfully
protects and provides for the Holy Family.
[5]
INVESTING IN RELATIONSHIPS BEFORE YOU NEED THEM
That lesson
applies to all of us.
Presence
matters.
Relationships
matter.
If you own a
home and have a little extra money, it is often wise to put something extra
toward the mortgage. It may not seem significant at the time, but years later
the benefit becomes clear.
The same
principle applies to relationships.
When you
have a little extra time, invest it.
Invest it in
your marriage.
Invest it in
your children.
Invest it in
your family.
Have the
conversation.
Share the
meal.
Pray
together.
Build trust
before it is needed.
And parents,
thank you for bringing your children to church.
We are
blessed by your children.
Now I know
that for parents with young children, coming to church can sometimes feel like
work. In fact, some Sundays it feels like a lot of work.
But we do
not come here simply for another task to complete.
We come here
for worship, renewal, and rest in God.
The
investment may seem small today, but over the years it bears tremendous fruit.
[6]
THE FATHER WHO NEVER STOPS CALLING US
Ultimately,
this is what God the Father does for us.
He remains
faithful even when we are fearful.
Jesus says:
"Are
not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground
without your Father's knowledge."
Then He
adds:
"Even
all the hairs of your head are counted."
Jesus is
telling us that God notices what others overlook.
He sees
every sacrifice, every prayer, and every burden carried quietly.
That is why
an old Gospel hymn can say:
"His
eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
Because He
knows us, values us, and cares for us.
So today,
whether Father's Day brings gratitude, grief, joy, or regret, Jesus gives us
the same message:
"Do
not be afraid."
Your
heavenly Father knows you.
Your
heavenly Father sees you.
Your
heavenly Father loves you.
Your
heavenly Father values you.
The Father
who created you never stops calling you back to Himself.
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